Chiara Dorbolò The Seven Follies of Lampedusa Deconstructing the borderline through architecture +31 (0) 6 22647401 chiara.dorb@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/chiaradorbolo
Amsterdam Academy of Architecture Graduation Projects 2016-2017
Architecture
Chiara Dorbolò The Seven Follies of Lampedusa Deconstructing the borderline through architecture
Migration is a natural phenomenon and it has always been part of human history. This is especially evident in a place like Lampedusa, a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Since it was first settled, migration defined the island’s identity, shaped its customs and peculiarities, and ultimately allowed life to continue on it. However, in a society where borders have increasingly greater impact on international relations and political debate, we forgot the natural role of movement in the history of our species. Lampedusa was for centuries a stepping stone in the Mediterranean Sea, offering safe harbor to passing ships in case of storms. Locals tell the story of a hermit living in a votive cave who would officiate rites of worship for both the Christian and the Muslim sailors. Today, Lampedusa is a militarized piece of land along the border between Italy and Libya. The arbitrary line that cuts the Mediterranean Sea in two, separating Africa from Europe, burdens the island with a controversial role in the eyes of the European public: that of a detention center. This led to the “spectacularization” of Lampedusa as an instrument to political debate during the refugee crisis, a stage whence to convey either the threat of invasion or the urgency of humanitarian aid. This project aims at using architecture as a tool to change the narrative around the island in relation to the topics of borders and immigration. It traces an imaginary line between Tripoli, the main point of departure for immigrants eventually reaching Lampedusa, and Amsterdam, our place in the world right now. This line passes right through the island. Just like the borders between countries are based on imaginary lines that become real through social construction, the line on Lampedusa is made real by the construction of seven architectural interventions, so-called follies. Using a language based on the vernacular architecture of the Mediterranean peoples, the follies aim to be reminiscent of home, wherever that might be. Each folly addresses a specific issue connected to immigration and borders, and each of them creates an emotional experience that relates to the dangerous journey across the sea. In doing so, it reminds everyone that every human being is on a journey. The seven follies carry the visitors and the inhabitants of Lampedusa into landscapes off the beaten path. They also provide new public spaces, free from institutional power and superimposed programs. In 1843, the Bourbon kings of Sicily built seven palaces on Lampedusa, overlooking the bay that serves as a natural harbor. These seven palaces became the center of urban development on the island. May the seven follies usher in a new period of social and human development, where the role of Lampedusa as a stepping stone in the Mediterranean is not abused, but cherished once again.
Graduation date 08 09 2017
Commission members Holger Gladys (mentor) Laura Alvarez Bruno Doedens
Additional members for the examination Bart Bultler Ira Koers
Chiara Dorbolò
Architecture
Chiara Dorbolò
CPSA - the detention center
Border in the Mediterranean Sea
Molo Favaloro - the militar pier
Borders in Lampedusa
Porta d’Europa - the monuments to the migrants
Crossing the border
Architecture
Aerial view of the seven follies on the line
Image caption
la torre - section
terra promessa - section
la porta - plans and sections of the elements
Chiara Dorbolò
dentro - model
morteammare - model
morteammare - plan
fuori - model
dentro - detail
Amsterdam Academy of Architecture Architect, Master of Science Urbanist, Master of Science Landscape Architect, Master of Science
Some 350 guest tutors are involved in teaching every year. Each of them is a practising designer or a specific expert in his or her particular subject. The three heads of department also have design practices of their own in addition to their work for the Academy. This structure yields an enormous dynamism and energy and ensures that the courses remain closely linked to the current state of the discipline. The courses consist of projects, exercises and lectures. First-year and second-year students also engage in morphological studies. Students work on their own or in small groups. The design
projects form the backbone of the syllabus. On the basis of a specific design assignment, students develop knowledge, insight and skills. The exercises are focused on training in those skills that are essential for recognising and solving design problems, such as analytical techniques, knowledge of the repertoire, the use of materials, text analysis, and writing. Many of the exercises are linked to the design projects. The morphological studies concentrate on the making of spatial objects, with the emphasis on creative process and implementation. Students experiment with materials and media forms and gain experience in converting an idea into a creation. During the periods between the terms there are workshops, study trips in the Netherlands and abroad, and other activities. This is also the preferred moment for international exchange projects. The Academy regularly invites foreign students for the workshops and recruits wellknown designers from the Netherlands and further afield as tutors. Graduates from the Academy of Architecture are entitled to the following titles: Architect, Master of Science; Urbanist, Master of Science and Landscape Architect, Master of Science.
Architecture
Architects, urbanists and landscape architects learn the profession at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture through an intensive combination of work and study. They work in small, partly interdisciplinary groups and are supervised by a select group of practising fellow professionals. There is a wide range of options within the programme so that students can put together their own trajectory and specialisation. With the inclusion of the course in Urbanism in 1957 and Landscape Architecture in 1972, the Academy is the only architecture school in the Netherlands to bring together the three spatial design disciplines under one roof.